Russian Photographs, 1992-2002: ReflectionsOverview

On March 6, 1992, some three months after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a handful of enthusiastic young Westerners living in Moscow began publishing the first English-language daily newspaper ever to be printed in Russia, the Moscow Times. During the next decade, the paper developed into a major source of independent news and commentary, not only for the expatriate community in Moscow, but for many Russians seeking an alternative point of view during a period of revolutionary political, social, and economic change. At first, the paper was printed commercially on the presses of the official communist daily, Pravda, the circulation of which was eight million. By contrast, the upstart Moscow Times printed only 20,000 copies. By 2002, the roles had been reversed. The circulation of the English-language newspaper had grown to 35,000—exceeding that of the faltering Pravda.

Construction of the new Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow nears completion. The original building was demolished by Stalin in 1931. Igor Tabakov, photographer. Copyprint, original taken in 1999. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (35)